


we'll warm our hands by the fire

by redredrobin



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Angst and Humor, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-23
Updated: 2012-08-23
Packaged: 2017-11-12 17:04:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/493633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redredrobin/pseuds/redredrobin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Bruce, why is there a ghost of Jason in the living room?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	we'll warm our hands by the fire

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the short story "The Delusions of Alfred Pennyworth", from Gotham Knights #34.

Wayne Manor was home to two ghosts. Not Bruce’s parents - everyone knew about them - two others he hadn’t mentioned to anyone save Alfred. And even then, not out loud. There’d been only one for a long time, but misery had always liked company. His company. 

“Bruce, why is there a ghost of Jason in the living room?” asked Stephanie.

Jason mimicked her. “Bru-uce, why is there a phony Robin in the living room?”

“I’m not a phony, pukeface,” snarled Stephanie. She glared at Jason, a full-on, Bat-glare. Bruce half-smiled with pride. “I trained with Spooky here, same s’you.” He was sitting in his armchair, both Robins were hovering about two inches off the floor. They both looked so much smaller, younger than they’d been. Memory was a funny thing-

“You’re a ghost too, Stephanie,” Bruce replied.

She looked at herself with surprise. “Awww.”

“You can fly, by the way.”

Steph brightened up immediately. “Can I walk through walls?”

“No you can’t,” said Jason.

“Why not?”

“Cuz that’s a stupid power.”

“That’s enough, you two.”

They both looked at him, eyes transparent and unnerving. He had to look away. “You have to get along now, since you’re both, uh-”

“Deceased?” supplied Jason.

“It knows polysyllabic words!” squealed Stephanie. 

“Whatever, phony replacement. Hey, I want tea,” said Jason, and started in the direction of the kitchen. “ALFRED! I WANT TEA!”

*

He usually saw them in the living room. Never in the cave. Sometimes they would be in the corridors: Jason liked putting bunny ears on Tim and trying to force Bruce to laugh. Stephanie would usually be whizzing around in joy at her newfound powers of flight. Jason got sick of this after two weeks, so he’d taken to grabbing the nearest swivel chair and a fire extinguisher and whizzed around yelling, “I’M GONNA GET YOUUUUUUUU” and promptly barrelling into Alfred, who’d try not to drop and break another tea set, and never succeed. 

Even more rarely, he saw them when they were older. He’d spotted Jason dressed for a wedding, nervously trying to tame his hair and doing his own tie, properly, _finally_. They made eye brief contact; Jason beamed proudly: “Dickie's getting married, Bruce! Hurry up and get dressed!” 

Another time, he’d seen Stephanie in her Nightwing costume and stared a bit too long, with a mixture of pride and sadness. 

Once, he’d come back from patrol and made a beeline for bed, not even bothering to get changed, when he caught sight of Stephanie rushing for work, hopping on one foot trying to get her shoes on. “Bruce!” she’d squealed, her mouth full of toast. “Interview today! Wish me luuuuuuck!” He’d given her a curt, military nod and watched her walk through the wall and vanish into the sunlight. 

Jason had come up behind him, barefoot, wearing baggy pants with GOTHAM UNIVERSITY emblazoned on his hoodie. “Still a stupid power.” Even as a ghost he never bothered becoming better at sneaking up on Bruce. Some things.

“Is that jealousy, Jay?”

“The hell it is. I scare the crap out of people when I come in through the door. You should have seen Dami the other day. I thought Baby bird was going to faint right there on the spot.”

“You shouldn’t scare your brother like that.” 

Jason shrugged and looked at the floor. “Bruce.” His shoulders were tense, he scratched his neck before putting both hands into the hoodie’s pocket. “I got into college. I mean. I know I fucked up on my SATs because.. you know. This.” He tugged the cape - a habit he hadn’t given up even after all these years. “But thanks for the full-ride scholarship. It.. it means a lot.”

Bruce turned and reached out, but grasped only empty space. Jason was gone.

*

“Does Master Dick know about these.. apparitions?” Alfred set down the coffee. They were in the living room again. Everyone else had left Bruce alone for “brooding time” in front of his parents’ portrait, not knowing that he sat there with another purpose in mind. Bruce never allowed cameras in this area of the house, or the kitchen. These were private places. 

That was even without considering how the rest of the family - or the League, for that matter - would respond to him admitting he saw ghosts on a regular basis. Gotham was mired enough in the supernatural, it didn’t need to come all the way to Wayne Manor, even if it had, unofficially.

“I tried telling Dick,” said Jason, sulking in the corner. “I think Steph tried with Tim, a coupla times. They don’t see us. They never have. Dami hears us when we open doors, but he can’t see us either.”

Bruce sat up in the chair. “And Cassandra?”

“Cassie’s always been able to see and hear me,” said Jason. “She only ever speaks to Steph. Whatever. It was just me and Alfred until Steph showed up anyway and suddenly you could see us.” He jabbed an accusing finger at Bruce, gave him the _how dare you not know_ look. Bruce settled back into the armchair pensively. It didn’t do well to argue with Jason, even if he _was_ incorporeal. 

They passed the rest of the time in silence, Jason floating lazily next to the armchair before curling up next to Bruce and falling asleep on his shoulder.

*

Stephanie disappeared mysteriously a few days before Bruce got a call from Leslie telling him that she was still alive. 

The same did not happen with Jason.

“I’m not dead?” said Jason. “Trippy. I ain’t leaving though. Spent too long here, made too many friends. You’re stuck with me.”

“Not the first time,” Alfred said. His expression was completely blank and unreadable, but his eyes were far away, thinking of a happier time. Bruce hated that. “Miss Brown seems to be.. free, Master Jason, but you do not. It is as though you will be the last person convinced of your own miraculous resurrection.” They picked up their respective teacups. 

“Come on old man, we have cookies to devour.” Jason blew on his tea before tasting it. “Crap! No sugar!”


End file.
